Rise of the Cyber Ponies
by Rabukurafuto
Summary: Twilight and company go to Ponyland, and find the ponies there are sick with a plague, and the only cure is to replace afflicted body parts with machine replacements. Something sinister is happening, and Twilight must discover the horrifying secret.
1. Welcome to Ponyland

_**サイバーポニー襲来**_

_**Rise of the Cyber Ponies**_

**第****1****話****: ****ポニーランドへようこそ**

**Chapter 1: Welcome to Ponyland**

Twilight Sparkle was at her most comfortable, standing at a table, her magic turning the pages of a heavy engrossing tome, sunlight streaming through the windows to keep the library warm and bright. _Earth Pony Settlements Through History_ chronicled communities that consisted primarily of Earth Ponies. Some stories were inspiring, the connection to nature that Earth Ponies possessed allowing for flourishing towns and cities, sometimes overcoming incredible hardships, all without the magic of Unicorn Ponies and the flight of Pegasus Ponies. Others were less uplifting, ending in disappointment or even tragedy. The history of Buckingville in particular was chilling, the residents building a settlement far away in the spring. During a ferociously bad winter and all contact was lost with Buckingville, neighboring Ponies stopped by to see if anything had happened, and discovered all the Buckingville Ponies had frozen to death. Twilight lingered over an especially poignant illustration of a dismayed rescue party in a small wooden home filled with snow, a family consisting of a stallion, a mare, and two fillies huddled together in bed, looking like they had fallen asleep together in death.

Twilight shook her head and quickly turned the page, turning to a chapter on Earth pony medical practices. Without magic they had to settle for some unusual solutions, even replacing damaged body parts with wooden prosthetics. A woodcut showed a stallion with a wooden left front leg, a complicated series of hinges in place to mimic the function of the original leg!

"Ingenious," she chuckled. "What these Earth Ponies can do without magic…"

The rapid pattering of Spike's feet caused her to look up. Her young assistant came charging from the floor above, waving his arms. "Twilight!" he called, and belched out a scroll in a quick blaze of green fire.

"A message from the princess?" Twilight's magic unfurled the scroll and held it for her to read. "_My dear student Twilight,_" she read aloud, "_nopony has heard anything from Ponyland north of Equestria for a month. I worry for our neighbors, and I want you to travel there as an ambassador. I have faith that you will be able to find out what has happened, and if something has, please inform me so that supplies may be brought in if needed, and then our lands can begin a new friendship. Be ready for anything. Please leave as soon as you're ready. Signed, Princess Celestia._"

"Ponyland?" Spike asked. "That's the big Earth Pony state, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is, Spike," Twilight answered. "I was just reading about it in this book. It's one of the most successful Earth Pony communities known outside of Equestria."

The young Unicorn Pony trotted to the library shelves and scanned for any relevant books that might help. "It would probably be best to bring Applejack and Pinkie with me," she told Spike. "If they're all Earth Ponies in Ponyland then they might not be as open to me, but with Pinkie and Applejack they might open up some more to us. And maybe if I bring Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow the Ponyland Ponies will learn to not be as nervous around non-Earth Ponies."

The sound of Spike's quill on paper told Twilight that Spike was making note of everything she said. "Is that it?" she asked, looking around her books. "Or is there something I'm missing?"

"Nope! I think we've got this planned out!" Spike answered cheerfully.

"Let's tell the others then!"

* * *

><p>The train ride to Ponyland was long, but luxurious. The interior was very soft and comfortable, with plenty of space in the stalls and private accommodations.<p>

Applejack gazed out the window, awed by their surroundings. "Look at those steep cliffs!" she observed. "They go on forever!"

"So what are you looking forward to seeing the most in Ponyland?" Fluttershy asked the girls. "I hope to visit all the forests and zoos to see what kind of animals live there."

"Definitely the race track!" Rainbow Dash said, buffeting her wings in excitement. "I know only Earth Ponies live there, but I bet Ponyland has some hardcore athletes that want new challenges!"

"I'm going to pursue the clothing stores," said Rarity. "I'm always looking forward to experiencing new fashions, and perhaps I can introduce them to my own works. This could be the beginning of a revolution in the fashion industry!"

"I've got similar plans," Applejack told them. "I'm gonna check out their produce and give away samples of my apples." She patted a bulging burlap sack of fresh apples she picked before the journey. "Give them a taste of Sweet Apple Acres! Maybe we can pick up some new customers in Ponyland!"

"_Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!_" Pinkie hopped around the car. "I wanna set up the biggest party ever at Ponyland! Once Ponyland and Equestria are the best of friends, we're gonna have a big celebration! I gotta be there!"

Spike looked over to them. "Well, I gotta be here no matter what, but I really wanna see what the gems are like. Maybe they've got new flavors for me to try."

Everypony turned to Twilight. "So what're you looking forward to, Twi?" Applejack asked.

Twilight cocked her head, thinking for a moment. It was really a job, not a holiday, but there had to be something she wanted to do. "I guess…just being able to experience a new culture," she said. "There must be something new to learn from these Ponies."

Fluttershy gave her characteristic slight smile. "Oh Twilight, always so studious."

"It looks like we've all got something cool to do," Rainbow said.

"When are we getting there, though?" Pinkie asked. "Are we there yet?"

"No, Pinkie," Twilight said with a sigh.

"Are we now?"

"No."

"Are we now?"

"No.

Everything went dark, prompting a little cry of terror from Fluttershy. Twilight blinked. It was like the Sun had simply vanished. A light flashed outside, rushing past the windows. The train lit up again, and Twilight could see they had entered a tunnel with white walls and electric lights lining the sides. The tunnel suddenly gave way to a vast cavern, lit by giant sterile white lights. The train slowed and finally halted, the whistle blowing with a piercing urgency.

"I…guess we're here," Twilight said.

Pinkie hopped up and down. "Yay!" Before anypony could move, Pinkie had barreled off the train and onto a hard grey platform. What struck Twilight the most about the place was the total lack of Ponies. Pinkie's cheers and hops echoed through the cavern, but nopony was there to greet them.

"Wow," Rainbow said, her expression becoming uneasy, "there's…nothing."

"I guess nopony was expecting us," Applejack said.

"Well. Let's go out and see," Rarity urged.

The girls hopped off the train onto the cold concrete platform. Aside from an electric humming in the air and Pinkie's joyful shouts, there was no sound at all. Their hooves sounded far too loud, and the vast space made Twilight feel terribly vulnerable. The chamber was cold and her skin broke out into goosebumps.

Pinkie slowed down and stopped, cocking her head and making a quizzical look. "Where is everypony?" she asked. "I thought they'd be happy to see us."

Twilight frowned worriedly. "I didn't want to consider it, but there might be nopony left. Princess Celestia said she hadn't heard from Ponyland at all, so maybe...everypony's too sick to come out. They might have even died."

Everypony fell silent at the grim prospect. Rainbow made a nervous swallow as she and Fluttershy hovered in the air.

"Twilight," Rarity whispered, holding her hoof to her mouth, eyes filled with terror, "you don't really believe that, do you?"

Twilight sighed. "The princess did say, 'Be ready for anything,' but I really hope that isn't the case."

Fluttershy's ear twitched. "_Sh!_" she hissed. "I hear something!"

Spike, riding on Twilight's back, nodded in agreement. The girls quieted down, Twilight listening hard. Yes, there was a heavy metal thudding in the distance, but it grew closer. It was like a Pony was wearing absurdly heavy horseshoes. She walked toward the opposite end of the platform, spotting a series of staircases in motion, half moving up with the other half moving down. A Pony was coming down the stairs, dressed from head to hooves in a heavy steel armor, leaving no exposed areas. She couldn't tell if it was a stallion or a mare.

"Oh, a soldier," Rarity said, relieved.

"Why's he in that armor though?" Rainbow asked. "Seems kinda unnecessary."

The soldier approached them, a Twilight's eyes were drawn to an unusual pair of bars emerging from the sides of the soldier's head, moving upward and meeting at a protrusion that resembled a Unicorn's horn, coming from about the same place a Unicorn's horn grew from, but angled straight ahead instead of at an upward point. Twilight wondered why the armor would have such a detail, especially if it was an Earth Pony.

"Halt, intruders," the soldier ordered, its voice deep and monotone. Steam hissed from its helmet and leg joins. Its tailed whipped back, more like a cord than a tail, and arcs of electricity crackled along its length. Twilight couldn't even see the soldier's eyes; the eye holes were covered by a black lens.

"_Ooh,_" said Pinkie. "Is this a costume party?"

The soldier ignored her, looking at Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. "You are not Earth Ponies," it observed. "What are you doing here?"

Twilight felt an uneasy knot in her stomach under the unblinking gaze of the imposing soldier. "We...were sent here by Princess Celestia of Equrestria," she stammered. "She hadn't heard from Ponyland for a long time..."

"We in Ponyland are fine on our own," the soldier said. There was no hint of emotion in its voice, only a bald statement. "Leave now or be arrested."

Twilight backed up, stymied. What was with the soldier? Were the Ponies of Ponyland really that xenophobic?

Applejack and Rainbow butted in, glaring at the guard. "Begging your pardon, _Sir,_" Applejack sneered, "but we came a mighty long way to make sure everypony was all right."

"Yeah!" Rainbow agreed. She floated up to the soldier's face "You owe us an explanation at least!"

"If, erm, you don't mind..." Fluttershy added, crouching behind her friends.

The soldier didn't respond but moved toward them, flicking its tail menacingly. Everypony tensed up, ready for a fight.

"Stand down!" a mare called from behind the soldier. It stopped, cocking its head.

"Stand down?" it repeated.

An Earth Pony mare came galloping onto the platform. "I said stand down!" she yelled at the soldier. "Obey me now!"

It stared at her for a second, then lowered its head. "I obey," it said, its tail retracting. It trotted away.

The mare turned to Twilight and the others. Her coat was cyan and her mane and tail bright orange. Her cutie mark was a pink notebook with a blue quill pen. She wore a plain grey garment over her trunk. "I'm terribly sorry about this!" she said. "We weren't expecting visitors, and I thought I was imagining things when the sensors picked up a train in the station!"

"Thank you so much!" Twilight said, wiping her forehead in relief. "I thought we were in serious trouble!"

The mare smiled. "It's good having visitors. I can't remember the last time I saw Pegasus and Unicorn Ponies. I'm Bright Eyes."

She turned and lead them to the moving staircases. Twilight's friends told Bright their names, but Twilight was distracted by a feature she missed on Bright.

Her rear right leg was encased in metal and hissing with steam, like the soldier's had.

No, it wasn't armor. It was a prosthetic leg.

"Welcome to Ponyland," Bright told them cheerfully

**続く****…**

**To be continued…**

_Author's note: My first _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_ story. I am rather excited about this fan-fiction. The idea came to me after listening to the chilling audio story _Doctor Who: Spare Parts_. The _Friendship is Magic_ fandom tends to like combining with _Doctor Who_, so I thought that I would go ahead with it too. Also, I had not read very many stories where the Ponies encounter Cybermen, so I decided to fill that need for myself. I hope you enjoy this story and watch for further chapters. _


	2. The CyberLeader

**_サイバーポニー襲来_**

**_Rise of the Cyber Ponies_**

**第****2****話****: ****_サイバーリーダー_**

**Chapter 2: The Cyber-Leader**

Twilight tried not to stare, but following behind Bright Eyes, her mechanical right hind leg moving just as well as her flesh legs, it was very difficult. It was just like the wooden prosthetic leg illustration in _Earth Pony Settlements Through History_ but metal. All of the complicated joints and machinery to make it move were impressive, if not a bit surreal.

They trotted through brightly lit streets deep underground, the cave ceilings strung up with large lanterns. The rectangular stone buildings were all grey and wide with dark windows, and Ponies trotted quietly through, wearing identical grey shirts. Many of them had replaced one or more legs with a mechanical prosthetic. A pallor of gloom hung over everything. Out of the corner of her eyes she thought she saw something small and silver in an ally, but there was nothing when she turned her head to look.

_Not exactly what I pictured,_ she thought.

"I'm sorry you were told to leave," Bright told them. "We in Ponyland have been suffering a plague after years of war, just one of many, and our immune systems are weak."

A collective gasp rose from her friends. Twilight's heart skipped a beat. "Pardon me?" Applejack asked, her voice bewildered. "Did you just say '_plague_'?"

"'One of many'?" Rarity added. Her eyes were terrified.

"Oh, you shouldn't have to worry," Bright said nonchalantly. "I believe you Equestria Ponies have stronger immune systems. Ours are rather weak after all that's happened."

She glanced to a colt beside his mother across the street, coughing and looking painfully thin, his tottering front legs withered to nearly useless twigs. He looked pained with each step. "We'll get you new legs," the mother told her son, "just as soon as we make enough money."

"That poor boy..." Fluttershy whispered.

"It gets worse each generation," Bright muttered, and knocked her own metal leg with her flesh one. "I had to remove this limb when I was a filly."

Heavy hoof beats from behind alerted Twilight to the passing of another one of the metal soldiers. It trotted past them, turning its head to glance at Twilight for a moment, then leaving for some other business. Twilight watched it leave, a sick knot forming in her stomach.

"Bright Eyes," she began, "why are those soldiers covered in armor?" She feared the answer, and hoped her guess was incorrect.

"Poor things," Bright said sadly. "They were so ravaged by the sickness that they couldn't function at all without a near total replacement of organs and limbs. They're about the best we can hope for with the really hopeless cases."

Spike gulped nervously upon Twilight's back. "You mean, that armor's on all the time? They can't take it off?"

"It's their new coat and skin," Bright replied.

"That ain't natural!" Applejack objected, horrified. "You filled them up with screws and bolts to keep them alive?"

"Better than dying," answered Bright wearily. "I didn't expect you to understand, being foreigners. It's better they can continue working."

She frowned and glanced at Spike. "What are you supposed to be?" she asked.

"I'm a Dragon," he answered. "He put on a smile. "The name's Spike. Pleased to meet you, Bright Eyes."

Bright seemed to regard him with some suspicion, but managed to smile.

"Might I ask where we are going, Bright?" Rarity asked. "After that long train ride, a lady needs her beauty sleep." Her smile was nervous. The information they were getting was rather hard to digest.

"I might as well keep you at my abode," Bright replied. "There's no where else to stay, and my position in the Party means I've got room to spare."

"Did you hear that?" Spike asked. "We just got a place to stay!"

"Thanks so much, Bright," Twilight said with a smile.

"Yes, thank you ever so much," Rarity agreed.

"So you're working on a party?" Pinkie asked. "_Ooh!_ Please let me help! I love parties! Will it be a surprise party?"

Bright chuckled. "Oh, not that kind of party. The Everypony Party runs Ponyland, and I'm an official, managing transportation. I thought it was my imagination when I saw that a train arrived in the Manedas Train Station."

They arrived at an imposing grey house with a heavy black gate surrounding it. Bright unlocked the gate and allowed them inside. The house was a good deal warmer than it was in the caverns. Compared to the austere exterior, the inside was warm and richly decorated with paintings, sculptures, and other objects d'art.

"Please make yourselves at home, friends," Bright told them. "I couldn't bear it if our guests were arrested by the curfew."

"Curfew?" Twilight asked.

"To keep everypony safe at night, of course," Bright remarked. "The black market can be very dangerous, and our brave police are a deter to them."

Twilight didn't know what Bright meant, but it didn't sound good to her.

"I'll show you to your rooms," Bright told them. "Come along."

"Thank goodness," Rarity said.

"Time for some shut-eye," Applejack said.

Twilight trotted behind, a vague uneasiness in her gut.

* * *

><p>Dr. Roseluck trotted into the looming White Building, scowling darkly. She hated being summoned by the Central Committee when her work was in progress. The Cyber Pony project was making great strides, and they might have finally found a way to avoid extinction. The future of Ponyland depended on the success of her work, so why would the Central Committee and the General Secretary want to call her away?<p>

The doors opened for her, the committee room lightless except for the glowing machinery surrounding the Committee. Already in attendance was Chief, standing silently, menacingly.

"_Dr. Roseluck,_" the Committee droned harshly together.

Roseluck bowed her head, maintaining a poker face. "Central Committee, General Secretary."

"Ponyland has been contaminated with outside influences," the General Secretary stated in his buzzing voice, his enormous brain pulsing through his clear dome. "We must upgrade more Ponies."

"My facilities are operating at maximum capacity already," Roseluck insisted. Even with today's illnesses we can't get everypony upgraded. Not enough are signing up with the work crews."

"_There is no time, we must survive._"

"We _must_ sur_vive,_" Chief agreed.

Roseluck sighed, feeling a headache forming. Having to look at the flashing lights of the Committee in the darkened chamber didn't help matters at all. "What do you want me to do?" she implored.

"I have talked long with the Committee," the General Secretary stated. "Logic dictates that if we are to survive everypony must be upgraded past the point the diseases will harm us."

"_We must survive,_" the Committee repeated.

Roseluck was flabbergasted. "But that's insane! Everypony upgraded? Nopony would agree to that! We would have to force them—"

Ignoring her, the General Secretary turned to Chief. "Chief, I am granting you authority over the Cyber Ponies. You are now Cyber-Leader Chief."

"Thank _you_, Ge_ne_r_al_ Se_cre_tar_y_ ," Chief answered in his peculiar way. He was incapable of speaking any other way. "If _I_ still _had_ a _no_tion _of _pride, _I_ would _feel_ so."

"This is not a time for emotion," the Secretary General warned. "This is a time for logic. Logic saw us through the war with Saddlero. Our life spans decrease more each year. With the Cyber Ponies we can live on far longer and stronger. We must survive."

"_Remove the emotions and leave only logic,_" the Committee insisted. "_This is how Ponyland will survive._"

Roseluck wondered what she had gotten herself into. "Give me some time, and I'll see what can be done," she told her superiors. She cast a sad look at Chief, but none of the others noticed. None of them could feel any emotion at all. Her expressions meant nothing to them.

"_We must survive. We must survive. We must survive. Wemustsurvive. Wemustsurvive. Wemustsurvive__. …_"

**続く****…**

**To be continued…**

_Author's note: A bit shorter than I had original intended, but I might as well spend the entire next chapter on what our heroines will do exploring the city of Manedas. I do hope you are enjoying this. Much more on the situation of Ponyland shall be revealed soon. _


End file.
